Fire-escape



(No Model.)

W. H. HOWARD.

FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 388,279. Patented Aug. 21, 1888.

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ilNTTan STATss PATENT ries.

XVILLIAM H. HO\VARD, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

Fl RE=ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,279, dated August21, 1888.

Application filed Marrh 16. 1888. Serial No. 267,368. (No model.)

1'0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

bottom of the chute, being journaled suffi- Be it known that I, ILLIAMH. HOWARD, ciently close together to form an almost cona citizen of theUnited States, and a resident tinuous bottom, and two rollers, 7 and 8,are 55 of Houston, in the county of Harris and State journaled,respectively, at the top and bottom of Texas, have invented certain newand useof the chute, having the ends of a brake-strap, ful Improvementsin Fire-Escapes; and I do 9, secured to them, the strap winding uponhereby declare that the following is a full, the lower roller, the shaftof which is proclear, and exact description of theinvention, vided witha crank or handle, 10, for revolv- 60 which will enable others skilledin the art to ing it, and with a ratchet-wheel, 11, engaged IO which itappcrtains to make and use the same, by a pawl, 12, so that the strapmaybe wound referencebeing had tothcaccompanying(lrawupon the lowerroller and tightened against ings, which form a part of thisspecification, the rear sides of the anti-friction rollers, servand inwhiching as a brake for them, the ratchct-wheel and 65 Figure 1 is aperspective view of a building, pawl serving to hold the lower roller inposishowing my improved lire-escape in operative tion and to thus keepthe strap in its adjusted position. Fig. 2 is a view of the rear side oftension. The upper ends of the side rails are the apparatus; and Fig. 3is a longitudinal connected bya bail or strap, 13, having aloop,sectional view. 14., at its middle, and the chute may be sup- 7c Thesame numerals of reference indicate the ported by means of this loopfrom one of the same or corresponding parts in all the figures. prongs15 of a swiveled hook, 1G, pivoted in My invention has relation to thatclass of the outer end of an arm or bracket, 17, profile-escapesconsisting of a chute placed in an jecting from the building at thewindow or apinclined position against a window or other erture fromwhich the escapeis to be operated. 75

aperture in the building on lire, in which the It will now be seen thatwhen the escape is persons or articles to be transported to the adjustedin its inclined position, persons may ground from the building slidedown the said slide down the same, the anti-friction rollers chute; andit consists in the improved conpreventing any injury by friction againstthe struction and combination of parts of such a bottom of the chute,and the person sliding 8o chute fire-escape having transverse rollers indown the chute may place thehands upon the the bottom of the chute forreducing the frichandrails and thus guide the descent.

tion between the bottom of the chute and the By adjusting the brakestrapthe descent body sliding down the chute, and provided maybe governed soas to prevent any too sudwith means for regulating the revolutions ofden descent, and the chute may be employed 85 the anti-friction rollers,as hereinafter more for articles of'furnitureas wellas forsavingperfullydescribed and claimed. sons, the hand-rails serving as guards for pre-In theaceompanyingdrawings, the numerals venting the articles fromfalling off from the 1 indicate the side pieces of the chute, whichchute. side pieces may be made of either wood or The chute may atalltimes remain in opcr- 90 iron, according to desire, and are formedwith ative position, as it can only be used for de- 40 molded hand-rails2 at their front edges, afscent, the rollers preventing ascending thefording hold for the hands of the person slidchute; but for the purposeof still further ining down the chute. The rear edges of the suringsafety and preventing any attempts to side pieces or side rails areconnected at suittamper with the chute, or to ascend the same, 95 abledistances by means of cross-braces 3, servany suitable alarm may beconnected to the 5 ing to keep them at their proper relative disescape,which will be sounded when it is tance, and at the lower end the siderails are touched. connected by means of a foot-rail, 4, having Theescape may he made portable and in downwardly-projeeting spikes 5, withwhich lengths, so that it may be employed at fires 1C0 the lower end ofthe ladder or chute may be in buildings not provided with the escape;

secured firmly in the ground. but itis preferably applied permanently tothe Anti-friction rollers 6 are journaled transbuilding, so as to beaccessible whenever reversely between the side rails, forming thequired.

Having thus described my invention, Ielaim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States 1. In a fire-escape, the combinationof a chute formed of two side rails and transversely-journaledanti-friction rollers forming the bottom of the chute, with abrake-strap bearing against the rear sides of the rollers and havingmeans for tightening it against them, as shown, and for the purposespecified.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination of two side rails having hand-railsor moldings upon the forward edges, anti-friction rollers journaledtransversely between the side rails,forming the bottom of the chute,rollersjournaled transversely in the top and bottom of the chute, and abrake-strap secured with its ends to the rollers bearing against therear sides of the anti-friction rollers and winding upon the lowerroller, as shown, and for the purpose specified.

3. In a fire-escape, the combination of a chute having anti-lrictionrollers journaled transversely to form a bottom, and having a strap onbail at the upper end formed with a central loop, and a bracket or armhaving a founpronged swiveled hook in its outer end, as shown, and forthe purpose specified.

4. In a fire-escape, the combination of an arm or bracket having afour-pronged swiveled hook at its outer end, and a chute having a strapor bail at its upper end formed with a central loop engaging the prongsof the hook, and-having a transverse footrail provided with spikes forentering the ground,as shown, and for the purpose specified.

5. In a chute fire-escape, the combination of side rails having the rearedges connected by crossbraces and having molded hand-rails upon theforward edges, anti-friction rollers j ournalcd transversely between therails to form the bottom of the chute, a roller journaled in the upperend of the chute, a roller journaled transversely in the lower end ofthe chute and having a ratchet-wheel and pawl and a crank, and abrake-strap secured'to the rollers at the ends of the chute and bearingagainst the rear sides of the anti-friction rollers and windingadjustably upon the lower roller,as shown, and for the purposespecified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoaffixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM H. HOWARD.

\Vitnesscs:

SAM I-I. BRASHEAR, JOHN H. RUBY.

